The US Navy (USN) wants to retire 25 EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. The supersonic jets will be sent to the "aircraft graveyard" at Davis-Montham Air Force Base in Tucson, Arizona.
As set out in the Department of the Navy's recently released Fiscal 2023 Budget Highlights Book, the USN proposes to retire its entire Electronic Strike Squadron (EAQ) expeditionary force. The proposal, however, still needs to be approved by Congress.
This arm is made up of five squadrons that operate from bases abroad to provide electronic attack capabilities to the t force, explains the magazine. Seapower. Expeditionary squadrons are separate from squadrons embarked on aircraft carriers.
The Navy's five expeditionary VAQs are all stationed at Naval Air Station Whidbey Island in Washington. They are the VAQ-131 Lancers, 132 Scorpions, 134 Garudas, 135 Black Ravens and 138 Yellow Jackets. Last month the VAQ-134 was sent to European Command as part of the buildup of forces in of NATO's eastern flank following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The Navy's only reserve electronic strike squadron, the VAQ-209 Star Warriors, has also been used in an expeditionary role. In recent years, expeditionary VAQs have been deployed to Italy, Japan and Southeast Asia in of US missions and coalitions.
Currently, the Navy is the only US military with electronic attack jets in operation. In 1998 the USAF retired the EF-111 Raven, based on the F-111 Aardvark fighter-bomber. The Marines retired the EA-6B Prowler in 2019.
The budget proposal calls for the 25 planes to be stored at the Air Force Base Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Montham Air Force Base, with half in FY 2024 and half in FY 2025. The cuts would also free up approximately 1.020 officers and squares. The Navy estimates that savings over the Future Years Defense Plan would be $807,8 million.
Expeditionary QAVs are considered high demand/high value assets by the t Chiefs of Staff. The assessments of the various regional commanders can be fundamental to reverse or mitigate the Navy's proposal.
Boeing EA-18G Growler
The EA-18G Growler manufactured by Boeing is an electronic attack aircraft, based on the F/A-18F Super Hornet multi-mission fighter. The aircraft was developed to replace the EA-6B Prowler and fulfills a series of electronic warfare missions such as interference, suppression of enemy air defenses, electronic escort, data collection and intelligence. The model is in service with the US Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force.
The plane still maintains 90% commonality of parts with the Super Hornet, facilitating and optimizing maintenance and its logistics chain. Most of the mission computers were assembled on a pallet installed in the space where the 20mm Vulcan cannon was located, in the nose of the aircraft.
At the wingtips, where the AIM-9 missile launch rails used to be, AN/ALQ-218 pods are carried for signal detection. Three AN/ALQ-99 low and high frequency interference pods are carried on the wing and fuselage hangers. In of armament, the EA-18 can employ the AGM-88 HARM/AARGM anti-radar missile and the AIM-9 Sidewinder and AIM-120 AMRAAM air-to-air missiles.
